At the end of each off-season ESPN’s Chad Ford grades each team on the moves they have made to prepare themselves for the upcoming year. Ford takes into account the trades the team has made, the rookies they’ve drafted, and the free agents they have signed.
This off-season has been a tumultuous one for the Lakers, and many people feel the team took a step backwards. After the Chris Paul trade fiasco was followed by the team shipping Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks for not much more than a bag of Skittles, many felt the Lakers were heading for a crash.
Ford graded the Lakers off-season moves with a D, which might as well stand for dismal. After head coach Phil Jackson retired and the Lakers lost Odom and free agent Shannon Brown, Ford feels the team has a lot of work to do to get back to championship form.
To see the rest of Chad Ford’s NBA team grades continue reading here. [ESPN Insider required]